[SOC] Australia's Veteran's Magazine - 102 yr old Signalman's Article - [long]

[Ian C. Purdie]

It wouldn't come as a huge shock to folks to know that I am a member of
Australia's principal veteran organisation, the RSL, known as the Returned
Services League.

Each month we receive our magazine which has feature stories, anecdotes,
letters to the editor etc. along with advertisements for funeral homes and
retirement villages [all familiar?] and so forth.

This month's issue features a young 102 year old 'Yeoman'. A signalman by any
other name [a living legend]:

At the risk of prosecution [copyright], persecution and whatever - allow me to
relate his story [long]:

ALBERT FLINT

[Who did win the battle of Jutland? We spoke to a man with very firm ideas on
the subject - and he was there]

Among the crowd at Earlwood-Bardwell Park RSL Club, one small figure stands
out: smartly dressed, wearing his service medals proudly. Albert Flint is
fulfilling his daily independent ritual of meeting friends and enjoying a
healthy meal, washed down occasionally by a glass of port.

At 102, Albert [all photographs included show from early days - to the present,
a man of obvious strong personal character, the chin stands out, right from age
12 to 102] is a legend in the district, always turning up to commemorative
events, taking part in RSL sub-branch activities, and happy to share his
memories of a long naval service that began in World War 1.

"I was only 12 when I joined my first training ship" he says "and by the time I
was 14, I was in the Royal Navy as a signal boy. I followed my father into the
navy. He was on minesweepers."

Albert is one of a tiny handful of surviving veterans of the biggest sea battle
of them all - 31st May, 1916, the Battle of Jutland in the North Sea [or as the
Germans know it, the Battle of Skagerrak]. It was the only action he saw during
WW1, but it was enough for a lifetime.

Albert was on "The Dom": the battleship HMS Indomitable.

"We struck rough weather and I'll never forget being seasick for half an hour.
Then I got over it. We were in the Third Battle Squadron. We could only go 25
knots and were lagging behind. We lost 'Indefatigable', 'Queen Mary' and
"Inflexible', and if we'd been able to go the same speed, we'd have gone too."

When she joined the battle, HMS Indomitable engaged the German ships
'Derfflinger', 'Seydlitz' and 'Pommern', and was soon under fire herself, but,
remarkably, took no casualties. The teen-aged signal boy was one of those most
exposed to the enemy shells.

"I was on the bridge the whole time", says Albert. "I got very nervous - and
that's what eventually got me discharged, a nervous disability. You couldn't
see much - there was black smoke everywhere. All the ships were coal burners
and you couldn't see the signals".

"It was terrifying. There was just smoke, and all the noise of the guns firing,
and the ship shaking. I wouldn't want to see another Jutland, that's for sure."

The Royal Navy fleet, under Admiral John Jellicoe, deployed 28 Dreadnought
destroyers and 9 battle cruisers at Jutland; the German commander, Admiral
Scheer, had 16 Dreadnoughts and 5 battle cruisers.

The British lost 14 ships and 6,784 men compared with German losses of 11 ships
and 3,058 men. Using those figures, Germany claimed victory. For Britain it was
a tactical loss but a strategic gain: the Germans remained blockaded in their
ports for the duration of WW1 and never went to sea again.

Almost 87 years later Albert Flint has no doubt about Jutland being a British
victory.

"They go around saying who won the Battle of Jutland - but who surrendered?
That's who the loser was".

[edit - at 102 no one would dare disagree]

And in his view Admiral Jellicoe was never given due credit. Even today Albert
is quite passionate on this point.

"Beatty got all the glory and Jellicoe got was to be made Governor-General of
New Zealand. But Jellicoe never got all the messages he should have done [sic].
You couldn't see the signals - there was no visibility - and there was a real
mix-up in communications."

Albert remained on HMS Indomitable for the rest of the war.

"I have good memories of old 'Dom'. Our sleeping quarters weren't great - we
had hammocks slung down below decks. And we weren't allowed to smoke on board
or have a tot of rum until we were 18 - but I used to have a smoke when I was
ashore!"

Albert stayed with the Royal Navy after the war and was posted to Malta to join
the Grand fleet, serving throughout the Mediterranean on a variety of warships,
including 'Eagle', 'Seraph', 'Ajax', 'Ramillies', 'Seaton', 'Hood', 'Vivid',
'Monarch', 'Trinidad' and 'Tedworth'.

In 1925, as a yeoman, or leading signalman, he agreed to transfer to the Royal
Australian Navy for what wa supposed to be a two year assignment.

The journey out was to be significant: asked to assist a female passenger who
was seasick, he met the woman's daughter and fell in love. Albert and Sarah
married and had two children; after Sarah's death he remarried but also lost
his second wife, Amy, due to illness. Today he lives alone, caring for himself.

Albert spent six years in the RAN, serving on the 'Canberra', 'Cerberus',
'Brisbane', 'Australia', 'ANZAC' and 'Penguin'. After his discharge in 1931 he
worked as a gatekeeper at Concord Hospital [Vets hospital[, then as a gardener
at the adjoining Red Cross hostel, until he was 85.

"I've been back to England twice but it's not the place I knew" says Albert.
"The house where I grew up in Battersea is still there though."

Today, as a proud Australian, Albert Flint never fails to observe ANZAC Day and
Remembrance Day, usually laying a wreath with his sub Branch at the local RSL
Club. And there is one other day of commemorative significance marked on his
calendar.

"21st October is Trafalgar Day and I join other members of the Royal Navy
Association in laying a wreath at Kirribilli."

The era of british sea power has long been extinguished, but the proud naval
tradition born of Trafalgar and Jutland continues to burn brightly in Sydney,
in the 'indomitable' form of Albert Flint.

[This post pays homage to a very remarkable Albert. It also pays homage to my
father, Richard [Dick] Purdie, VK2RP, VK3RP, VK2ARP - SK. Yeoman and Signalman
- RAN 1916 -1928. Wireless Operator, Senior Training Officer, Signals
Intelligence, Radar - 1930 - 1952]


72/73's

Ian C. Purdie
Budgewoi N.S.W. Australia - Co-ords S33�14', E151�34'
VK2TIP "I'll give ya the TIP mate" QRP-L #1978. SOC #171 FP#91
http://www.electronics-tutorials.com/